KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: The Confederation of African Football has finally brought down the hammer following the chaotic conclusion to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, issuing a series of unprecedented fines and multi-match bans.

In a disciplinary sweep released on Thursday, CAF’s Disciplinary Board targeted players, coaching staff, and the national associations of both champions Senegal and runners-up Morocco. The sanctions follow a final in Rabat that was as remarkable for its late-game volatility as it was for Senegal’s 1–0 extra-time triumph.

The most severe individual punishment was reserved for Senegal’s head coach, Pape Bouna Thiaw. The board handed Thiaw a five-match suspension and a $100,000 fine for “unsporting conduct” after he famously ordered his players to leave the pitch in protest of a late VAR-awarded penalty for Morocco.

Senegal’s star forwards Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaïla Sarr were each slapped with two-match bans for their roles in the ensuing scuffles with match officials. On the Moroccan side, captain Achraf Hakimi received a two-match ban—half of which is suspended for a year—while midfielder Ismaël Saibari was hit with a three-match suspension and a $100,000 fine.

The financial toll on the federations is equally severe. The Fédération Sénégalaise de Football has been ordered to pay a total of $615,000, while Morocco’s FRMF faces a $315,000 bill for offenses ranging from the improper conduct of ball boys to the use of lasers by supporters.

While the bans and fines represent a stern moral rebuke, a glaring technicality provides a massive relief for the sanctioned individuals. Under current FIFA and CAF jurisdictional rules, these suspensions apply only to “official CAF matches.”

This means the bans will be served during the upcoming 2027 AFCON qualifiers and other continental fixtures. They do not carry over into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to kick off this June in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

“The sanctions are specific to the sphere of CAF-organized competitions,” a disciplinary official confirmed. “They do not impede participation in the FIFA World Cup finals.”

For Senegal and Morocco—both of whom have secured their spots in the global showpiece—this distinction is the linchpin of their immediate future plans. Pape Bouna Thiaw will be free to take his place on the touchline in North America, and Hakimi will lead his Atlas Lions onto the world stage without missing a single minute of action.

The decision has sparked a heated debate regarding the efficacy of continental “deterrents.” Critics argue that a ban that allows a coach to attend the World Cup after leading a walk-off in a major final lacks true teeth.

“CAF has shown it can fine the federations into submission,” noted one regional analyst, “but by failing to coordinate these bans with FIFA for the summer tournament, the individuals involved have effectively escaped the only punishment that would truly hurt.”

CAF also officially rejected Morocco’s protest to have the final result voided due to Senegal’s brief abandonment of the pitch, confirming that the Teranga Lions remain the official champions.

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